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Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award

Purpose:
This Award recognizes and honors exceptional efforts in the education field. This award highlights the achievements of teachers who play a vital role in the shaping of students' lives.

Award:
An award of a Crystal Apple is presented at a public ceremony followed by a reception honoring awardees.

Eligibility:
Nominees must have a full-time academic appointment with four or more years of teaching service at UMSL.

Criteria:
Nominees must show evidence consistent with the priorities and goals outlined in the UMSL Strategic Plan, demonstrating:

  • Innovative and successful teaching practices
  • Leadership and high visibility in the local community

Submission of Materials and Format:
All nominations must include the following materials.

  • Cover page with name, position, academic address of nominee and nominator, and a checklist of included documents
  • Nomination letter
  • Nominee’s curriculum vitae
  • Lists of courses taught if not included in the C.V. and other teaching and advising activities during the preceding four years
  • Representative syllabi (2) from the nominee’s courses
  • Nominee’s personal philosophy of teaching and the ways this philosophy is demonstrated in practice (no more than three pages)
  • Examples of successful teaching practices
  • A summary of course evaluations (qualitative and quantitative data).  Include a copy of the evaluation(s) used with an explanation of the scale for quantitative data.  
  • Letters of support (no more than five) from students, alumni, colleagues, administrators and community leaders. Include at least two letters from students and one letter from a colleague invited to observe in the faculty member’s classes
  • Evidence supporting nomination criteria

Nomination Procedure:
The Senate Faculty Teaching and Service Awards Committee receives and reviews all nominations and presents its recommendation to the chancellor for final approval. The Committee requires submission through electronic format. These nominations should be a single file in MS Word or pdf format, and should be emailed to the Senate office (senate@umsl.edu) no later than 5 pm on the deadline.

Deadline for Submission:
March 1, 2024 at 11:59 p.m is the deadline for submission of nomination and completed materials packet.

Previous Award Winners:

2022-2023 Jennifer Fisher, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Art and Design
2021-2022 Timothy Makubuya, Assistant Professor, Department of Education Preparation and Leadership, College of Education
2020-2021 Marc Spingola, Teaching Professor, Department of Biology, College of Arts & Sciences
2019-2020 Qiang Dotzel, Teaching Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts & Sciences
2018-2019 Amber Candela, Associate Professor, Education Preparation and Leadership, College of Education
2014-2015 Karen Cummings, Associate Professor, Department of Art & Art History, School of Fine and Performing Arts, College of Arts and Sciences
2013-2014 Alina Slapac, Assistant Professor, Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, TESOL, and Special Education, College of Education 
2012-2013 Shawn Woodhouse, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education
2011-2012  Krista Tucciarone, Assistant Teaching Professor, Theatre, Dance, and Media Studies, College of Fine Arts and Communication
2010-2011 Michael Fix, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Arts and Sciences
2009-2010 William Mayhan, William Mayhan, Associate Teaching Professor, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences
2008 - 2009 Kenneth E. Owen, Associate Teaching Professor, Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education
2007 - 2008 Carole Murphy, Associate Professor, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
2006 - 2007 Jennifer Siciliani, Affiliate Associate Professor, Psychology
2005 - 2006 Gwen Moore, Senior Lecturer, College of Business Administration
2004 - 2005 Alan Heisel, Assistant Professor, Communication
2003 - 2004 Harvey Chiles, Affiliate Assistant Professor, Teaching and Learning
2002 - 2003 David Robertson, Professor, Political Science
2001 - 2002 Thomas Patton, Professor, Art and Art History
2000 - 2001 Jerry Cooper, Professor, History
1999 - 2000 Allan Wagner, Associate Professor, Criminology and Criminal Justice
1998 - 1999 Helene Sherman, Associate Professor, Teaching and Learning